[untitled] The Journal of Negro History (1918-10-01), page 442

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BOOK REVIEWS

The Virgin Islands of the United States of America. By Luther

K. Zabeiskie, Former Vice-Consul of the United States at St.

Thomas. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1918.

Pp. 339. Price $4.00.

This is an historical and descriptive work containing facts, fig-
ures and resources about a country ninety per cent of the popula-
tion of which belongs to the Negro race. It is a detailed account of
practically every interest of concern to the tourist, the merchant,
the geographer and the historian. It is made still more valuable
by its one hundred and nine illustrations and two maps which
clearly demonstrate what the United States Government has re-
ceived in return for the purchase price of $25,000,000.

The first effort of the author is to give a short sketch of the
history of the Virgin Islands. He then takes up the question of
purchasing the islands. In discussing these political and historic
questions, however, the author is too brief and neglectful of im-
portant problems which the student of history would like to know.
The author no doubt carefully avoided these questions for the
reasons that he was then and still is in the diplomatic service of
the United States. The book is chiefly concerned with the actual
government of the group, the occupations of the people, and the
place of the islands in the commerce of the world.

Largely interested, therefore, in those things which generally
concern a consul, Mr. Zabriskie has written a valuable commercial
treatise. He explains such things as steamer service, harbor facili-
ties, banking, currency, sanitation, transportation, cattle raising,
agriculture, manufactures, imports and exports. The last part of
the book is exclusively devoted to the most recent history of the
Virgin Islands. There is a discussion of the sale negotiations, the
convention between the United States and Denmark, the announce-
ment of the sale, the formal transfer of the islands, the farewell
service and the temporary government provided. This part of the
book is not merely descriptive. It contains the actual documents
as in the case of the convention between the United States and Den-
mark, which is given in the English and Danish languages.

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